The Prince and the Raven
by Waifine
Summary: [Reconstructed from Princess Tutu.] Once upon a time there was a fair Prince with a pure heart, who sought to protect all. He and his gallant knight lived in a Kingdom of perpetual peace. That is, until the day when a Monster Raven appeared and laid waste to the land. The cities crumbled, the people suffered, and in the face of this colossus the Prince took up his sword.
1. Darkness is Banished

**Chapter One**

**Darkness is Banished**

Once upon a time, there was a king and a queen who wanted a child more than any treasure in the world. But when a prince was at last born to the aging couple, they learned that his fate would be to protect all weak things even at the cost of his life. [1]

Mime, the old king of the land, stared into the face of his dearest friend, feeling in that moment the full burden of a heavy heart. They had been through much together. Many wars. Too many, if he was honest. And he _did_ always try to be honest, just as the man before him did. It was because of this that his next question was so entirely hollow and lackluster. "You are certain?"

The Court Mage, with his long flowing beard that touched the carpeted floor, nodded solemnly. He was a haggard man. Life, and the Sight that he possessed, had weighed with him over the years. "I am afraid there can be no doubt. Your son shall grow into a man who loves_ everyone_. All things, all creatures, and all people. And his kindness will know no bounds… Even those set upon him by his own body." The silence between them was heavy. "He will be a truly great king," offered the Mage. [2]

"–If he ever_ lives_ to be king," Mime answered darkly, looking away from the bearer of these tidings, as though with a gesture he could look away from the tidings themselves.

_"Mime."_ He turned at the rebuke.

He had almost forgotten the presence of his Queen in the room. How ridiculous, considering the place where they three were now assembled.

No…not three. Four.

They had just returned from the Chapel of Hope, where they baptism had been performed. Sieglinde once again lay in her bed, exhausted, her arms wrapped around their son, born to this world not two hours before. It was amazing how, despite the hours of labor, and the fatigue which she had fought through, she could still be keen to every word spoken. [3]

The King held her gaze for a moment longer before relinquishing it, finding it a burden, with all of its conveyed anxieties, too heavy to bear. He turned away from her, the Mage, his newborn son, and this newborn foul prophesy. Mime strode to the window, and looked out upon his kingdom. It was truly a glorious place. The land was one of well-tended fields, of beautiful valleys, hills, streams that coursed far into the distance, and lush forests that lay bespeckling the countryside.

He leaned his arms upon the stone sill of the window, and bowed his head. After these many years without an heir, and then these many hours in fear for Sieglinde's life… would there always been a darkness to each spot of sunlight they were granted?

Sieglinde, whose eyes had been fixed on the outline of her lord, now looked back to the little wonder she had brought into the world. He was so beautiful, with his tuft of sheer blond hair and little red hands. He was so small… only just born. She leaned down, and laid a gentle kiss upon his soft, fresh-birthed little head. After all these years of wanting he was her little ray of radiance, born into a barren world.

The king and queen mourned, for with such a fate their prince would come to know nothing but sorrow and pain. [4]

King Mime gripped his fingers into the stonework of the window frame. "No," he said resolutely. "No, I will not have it." He looked across the land, fraught as it was with sunlight and shadows. He looked again to the forests, and the long shades they cast, and again to the windmills, and houses, where their rising forms left dark footprints in their wake. "If we are to have a son who will love all things, and who will always defend his subjects against the powers of evil and darkness-"

"-Then let us cast out all the darkness from our kingdom."

King Mime turned to look upon Queen Sieglinde, who sat erect, her eyes fierce with a regal resolve, clutching her child, and one true treasure, to her chest.

The king looked to his Mage, and nodded. "Yes. This is our wish."

"Your Majesties, I must caution you not to act too hastily. Remember that it is often the very actions we take to avoid misfortune which may bring them upon us with most haste," the Mage looked from his old friend and sovereign, to his queen. "A story of despair may very well be set in motion if you tear despair from its makeup." [5]

_"This is our wish,"_ Sieglinde reaffirmed, holding the child all the more closely.

And so, thinking to save him from grief and bequeath him nothing but unending happiness, they banished all shadows from their kingdom. [6]

The ravens blotted out the sun.

From every forest, from every glen, and from the rafters of every farm and castle, they rose like dark clouds, expelled by the Mage and his magic; by the King and Queen, and their decree.

Sieglinde sat in the window-seat as the sun set, dressed in a loose evening robe, her child wrapped in her arms. She smiled down at him, even as the patches of darkness played across his face. Tomorrow, she and Mime would present him to the court. Tonight, however…

"My love, should you be up?"

Sieglinde looked around. In the semi-darkness of the room she saw Mime closing the door behind him. "It is strange, is it not?" she said, looking outside again. "I would never have suspected there were so many in the entire kingdom. Where are they all coming from?"

"Some," the King removed his chain of office – a heavy burden – and draped it over a chain, "are uprooted from the nests that are the memories within our subjects. Many, I dare say, actually. From their minds. From their hearts." He sighed heavily, looking through the window, beyond his wife and child. [7]

"Negative emotions like the ravens lurk within everyone's heart," he said quietly. So quietly, that Sieglinde almost did not catch the words over the deafening cry of birds and flap of wings outside. [8]

"Some," he continued, "are not from the minds of men at all, but appear to have come from the land itself, and range in their identity from creatures natural, to those of sheer magic…" Sieglinde gave him her undivided attention. [9]

"For every splash of light, there must also be a shadow," he said, crossing the room, and laying a hand on her shoulder, his eyes all the while fixed on the flock of darkness outside.

"Always… until today," she said. "After today, all of the dark emotions shall be thrown out from the kingdom, and we shall have no grief or suffering ever again." She looked out of the window again, rocking her child with a soothing rhythm. "I wonder why none of your forefathers ever did such a thing," she mused. [10]

Mime sat down beside her, his eyes also locked on the chaos outside. "They feared the misbalance that such an act might bring," he said, thinking back to the myths and omens of his childhood. "They feared the consequences of a kingdom of too much light. That… without darkness… light may very well come to have no meaning…" He fell into deep and troubled thought. [11]

"I dare say," he finally continued, "that they considered it a natural order of life… to learn to live side by side with, and make peace and harmony with, the ravens in our own hearts." [12]

The Queen shifted her darling bundle slightly, and reached out to take her king's arm with her free hand. "We had no choice," she said quietly. "It is known, and has always been known, that the raven was born from the ugly desires of humanity." Gently, she took the baby, making certain to support his head, and delivered him into his father's arms. Mime held him like the world's most delicate and fragile animal; as though he was no more than the hatchling of a swan. "With a heart so pure and loving as that of our son's," the queen continued, "the ravens, if allowed to remain in this Kingdom, could become even more powerful, and strengthen those negative emotions. All of the land… the entire world… could be shrouded in darkness." The baby, still too small to even make a noise, wriggled in his swaddling. Sieglinde looked down at him. The very sight of him convinced her beyond a shadow of a doubt that they had done the right thing. "…What seeds of misfortune would scatter throughout the land, if this came to pass? Plague? War? In the end, all that would be left…would be _hatred."_ [13]

She again looked out the window. Already the shades were thinning, and vanishing. "Do not think of it as an act that your ancestors would never have committed," she said, the shadows playing across her face, her eyes transfixed. "Think of it rather as an act which you found the ideal time to perform. You found the perfect moment to strike. We have freed the land of shadows, my love," she smiled wearily at her husband. "And we have saved our son."

For a long while the two simply sat in the windowsill, and smiled down at the child between them. "Yes… yes, I agree," he nodded. And even as he spoke, the King felt all the agitation waning from within him, as though it had grown wings, and flown away.

"Ah, peace forever," they sighed, watching despair and anger and darkness fly out from the prince's heart, from their hearts, from the hearts of all their subjects in the form of ravens. But where will they fly to? The king and queen wondered before forgetting the question in the shining smile of their son, his heart now untouched and pure as freshly fallen snow.

But did the Monster Raven, so entirely evil, come out from the prince's heart or did the prince, so impossibly pure, come out from the raven's? [14]

**…**

**Footnotes: **

[1][4][6][14] Excerpt from _This Pendent Heart,_ a light-novel by LunaSphere. Ch15. p.119

[2] The trait of universal love in the Prince is from _Princess Tutu (anime),_ Ep.26

[3] "Mime" and "Sieglinde" are the parents' names in Richard Wagner's 1876 opera, _Siegfried._

[5] This catalyst of the events is drawn from _This Pendent Heart,_ Ch15. p.121

[7] The uprooting of the ravens is drawn from _This Pendent Heart,_ Ch18. p.161

[8] This sentiment is drawn from _Princess Tutu (manga),_ Vol2. Ch10. p.13

[9] The uprooting of the ravens is drawn from _This Pendent Heart,_ Epilogue. p.176

[10] Reference to the 'dark emotions' is drawn upon from _This Pendent Heart,_ Ch18. p.154

[11] The kingdom of too much light is drawn upon from _This Pendent Heart,_ Ch18. p.164

[12] The notion of living with the ravens is drawn from _This Pendent Heart, _Epilogue. p.176

[13] This speech is similar to one from _Princess Tutu (manga),_ Vol2. Ch10. p.11


	2. A Sword of Old Magic

**Chapter Two**

**A Sword of Old Magic**

Prince Siegfried grew into everything to make his royal parents proud beyond their wildest dreams. He was fearless in combat, elegant in manner, and had the gentlest heart and most noble soul of any young man in the kingdom. What had once been a prophesy which made King Mime and Queen Sieglinde fearful, had grown into a reality that gave them boundless joy. With the banishing of the ravens, the kingdom had become peaceful beyond anyone's imagination. Crime and war vanished, and in a single night the land had become orderly and constant, like a well-cared for watch. And all of the people remembered this day as the day of their Prince's birth. [1]

"Are you excited, your highness?" The old nursemaid who had tended to him for years now lovingly fastened the cape around the young Prince's shoulder.

"Yes," he smiled, doing his best to stay absolutely still. "I've looked forward to this for weeks. You know, I could hardly sleep last night because of it." He was aquiver with anticipation.

He looked above the fireplace in his room, to where his family crest hung – a crest on which was emblazed a beautiful, crowned swan with rainbow colored wings, set against a blue background, as clear and as bold as that of a lake on a summer's day. The swan itself perched upon a greater crown, imbedded with precious gems. [2]

He smiled, his honey colored eyes transfixed. "From this day forward, the crest of our kingdom will be mine to carry."

Today was the day of Prince Siegfried's coming of age; what for other boys was knighthood, and for him was the shouldering of all his princely duties.

The hour struck. The bells rang through the kingdom. Siegfried smiled, resolution in his face. He was ready. _I have wanted this for so long,_ he thought. _I want to be awarded my sword and shield. I want to be able to protect everyone. …To love everyone._

…

In every other moment of his life, he was Prince Siegfried. He was the destined King, the promised Prince. The only heir to the throne of this fair Kingdom. However, when he trained and sparred, and studied, and struggled with his peers, he was a boy of noble birth like any other, seeking the most honorable state of knighthood and duty.

Siegfried paced one of the corridors adjacent to the Great Hall, where the ceremony would commence. He took a deep breath, and straightened his back. Nervously, he ran his fingers through his wisp-like blond hair. [3]

Conversation came in and out of focus as courtiers traveled down adjacent hallways, moving to the Great Hall to find themselves seats. The Prince's coming of age was not a spectacle to be missed.

"_So, how many are being knighted today?"_

"_I hear it will just be the Prince, and one other."_

"_Oh, who?"_

"_That surly fellow. You know the one. Parsifal's boy." _[4]

The trumpets sounded, and Siegfried's undivided attention returned the Hall. Just one turn around the corner and it would be upon him.

Such events were never well attended. The king would take an hour out of his day to knight a boy or two. Perhaps the boy's family would make an appearance, to see and be seen in the courtly circles. However, this time it seemed as though all the court had turned up for the occasion. Wooden stalls had been erected to line the walls. The Prince could hear the noise, the whispering, and the laughter all die down with the trumpets' swell.

It was time. Taking a deep breath, he stepped out of the corridor and into the Great Hall of the Swan Stone Castle. [5]

All eyes were on him. At the end of the Hall were three small archways, within each of which was nestled a throne. In the center sat his father, and Siegfried could see from here how the man was attempting to check his fatherly pride beneath that well-trimmed beard. On his right sat Siegfried's mother, who was holding his father's hand in an attempt to give him support, even as she herself had eyes that glistened so that they caught every spark of light from the chandlers that lined the Hall. [6]

"_Your Royal Majesties," _the caller began to slowly announce in his sing-song baritone,_ "my Lords and Ladies of the Court, here stands before you Siegfried, son of Mime…"_ The caller announced him, his rank and his lineage five generations back, and all of their great deeds. Siegfried walked at a steady pace across the length of the Hall. Just as the crier called out, _"We come here to honor him for his bravery and his chivalry. Amen," _Siegfried came to stand before his parents. He smiled up at them both, and then took a knee.

Another trumpet sounded.

"_Your Royal Majesties, my Lords and Ladies of the Court, here stands before you Lohengrin, son of Parsifal…"_ and once more, on and on the proclamation went until, out of the corner of his eye, as his head was bowed, Siegfried saw a pair of well-made but simple black boots come to stop by his side.

"_Amen."_

The owner of the pair of boots bowed to the king and queen, and then he too took a knee by Siegfried's side. As they set themselves so, with their heads bent, the two young men caught each other's eye.

Siegfried smiled. The other boy, Lohengrin, merely raised an eyebrow before returning his gaze to the ground.

Siegfried kept his gaze on his companion one moment longer before looking away as well. He was a black-haired boy, of what appeared to be Siegfried's own age and stature. _He has such storm-filled green eyes,_ was all that Siegfried had time to think before his father rose.

"Do you, Siegfried of the House Mime, and Lohengrin of the House Parsifal, swear on your lives to protect the innocent, defend the weak, and serve the royal line of this kingdom with justice, honor, and love?"

"My lord king, this I do swear," the two boys chorused as one.

Siegfried sensed rather than saw how his father took up one of the two swords he had leaned against his throne. He heard the metal sing as his father unsheathed it.

"Lohengrin, Parsifal's son, you took a knee as a boy. Rise now as a man." Mime set the sword to rest first on one of the boy's shoulders, and then on the other. "Sir Lohengrin, protector of the realm!"

The crowd clapped politely as Lohengrin stood once again. Mime sheathed the sword once more and gave it to the boy. "This sword is yours to name. The duties that you perform by it will be its history. If they be great, they will become its legend." Lohengrin took the sword, and pressed it to his heart is a salute.

Mime nodded. He then returned to his throne, took up the second sword, and turned to look upon his kneeling son. Siegfried again heard the sound of a sword unsheathing. A thrill went through him.

"Siegfried, Mime's son, you took a knee as a boy. Rise now as a man." Siegfried could hear how fiercely his father tried to control his voice. How desperately he tried to keep it from cracking. In the next moment he felt the weight of metal, first upon one shoulder, and then upon the other. "Prince Siegfried, protector of the realm!" A knot formed in his throat.

A hand gripping into his knee for support, Siegfried put himself back onto his feet, and finally looked up at his father, before his eyes slid onto the sword he was holding. He blinked at the hilt. It was staggeringly beautiful. It took the form of two swans exquisitely worked in white silver, on whom every feather could be seen. [7]

"This sword is named Nothung. It has been carried by a member of the royal line for as long as this castle has stood. It is a sword of the old magic. See that you are worthy of it." Siegfried took in hand the sword his father offered him, and pressed it to his heart ardently. [8]

Yet, at the very same moment, there echoed in his mind the subconscious observation that perhaps the reason that he had never before laid eyes on this, his father's and his bloodline's sword, was that since the very day of his birth, there had ceased to be a need to carry swords.

It was a strangely ominous thought, and Siegfried banished it from his mind.

All thought and words was drowned out by the cheers and claps that reverberated off all the walls of the Great Hall and made the chandeliers tinkle merrily.

…

The well-wishers and luck-givers had all finally dispersed. After the ceremony Siegfried had been positively swarmed by his people. The day had been exhausting, but incredible. Siegfried had been summoned to his parents' chambers for that evening. For now, however, he had a little while of leisure.

With his sword strapped to his belt, Siegfried meandered through the castle. Occasionally he would meet a stray courtier who would congratulate him, and to whom he would smile back. For the most part, however, the halls were cleared, the display over. So he wandered for a long, long while. Finally, more from habit than conscious thought, he found himself in the courtyard, where he had spent his years of training. He smiled as he looked about it. It was a beautiful open space, with the castle's elegant walls rising about it. In the center there stood a single dogwood tree, whose white flowers were in full bloom, and whose petals, with every passing gust of wind, floated down to rest upon the surface of the pond bellow. A few swans and ducks coursed across the water.

Sitting at the base of the tree and on the bank of the pond, Siegfried saw a familiar figure.

As he approached Lohengrin from behind he saw that his dark hair was in fact rather long and that, for the occasion, he had pulled it back into a tail with a dark green velvet ribbon. He was slightly bent over his newly acquired sword, running a wet stone along its edges to sharpen it. Mytho now saw that, while the sheath and the grip of the sword were bound in a dark leather, the sword had a bright, violet gem imbedded at the top of its hilt. The knight did not mark the prince's approach. [9]

But then, he did not blanch when the Prince announced himself either. "Sir," he said with a smile as he too set himself on the bank of the bond. "I thought that we might be formally introduced, as we have just both been knighted in one hour."

Lohengrin looked up at him and, without a word, made to rise before his liege lord.

"Oh no, please! Don't get up."

Usually when Siegfried said this, or some such phrase, the person he addressed would insist on getting up none the less, and bow most ardently. Lohengrin however shrugged, and allowed himself to fall back onto his backside.

Siegfried blinked at him.

"So," he finally said, attempting to restart the conversation. "You are Parsifal's son, and-"

"_Lohengrin._ My name is _Lohengrin,"_ the boy said without looking up.

"Yes of course." Siegfried said. This Lohengrin was not the easiest conversationalist. The Prince clasped his hands behind his back and rocked in place for a moment as he surveyed the pond and the birds upon it. "My name is Siegfried," he offered brightly.

Lohengrin's hand, which had been rhythmically running the rock along the sword, stilled. He looked up at the Prince with such a gaze that the latter felt like a complete idiot. "I know. You are the crowned prince of my country."

Siegfried turned pink. "Yes of course." He swallowed, looked away, and then looked back again after a moment, his mouth open with a new conversation.

"Look, I'll spare you the trouble." Lohengrin once more interrupted his attentions to his sword to look up at the prince. "I'm a second son, and thus of little importance. I am here to be a knight, and a good one, because the alternative would have been the cloister. I'm an unpleasant fellow by everyone's account, and I know this because everyone has told me so. Ergo, there is no need for you to be agreeable to me. I am sworn into your service and that of your family, and will do my duty with honor, regardless of your chivalrous attitude. So you may as well lavish it elsewhere." With that, and with an acknowledging nod as a bow, the young man went back to his sword, while the young Prince stood with his mouth now fully open, and with no conversation to speak of. [10]

"Prince Siegfried!" a voice called out to him across the courtyard. The Prince turned to see his nursemaid waving to him to get his attention. "Prince Siegfried, your parents are waiting for you!"

Siegfried turned once more to look at the sitting knight, who had now sheathed his sword once more, and was wrapping it in a traveling cloak. He did not spare another glance at the Prince. Siegfried turned again, and swept out of the courtyard. [11]

…

"Ah, Siegfried," his mother smiled at him as he entered the room, lowering her glass of wine. She sat at the small, round day-table at which she and his father usually liked to play cards. His father stopped his pacing of the room to look at him. Siegfried bowed to his parents respectfully.

His mother inclined her head in turn. His father indicated to one of the two empty seats that remained at the table, taking a seat himself. The prince joined the king and queen.

"Son," Mime finally said. "Please unclasp your sword and place it upon the table."

Siegfried blinked at him in surprise, but then dutifully did as he was asked. The hilt, with its superbly crafted swan wings, caught the already waning light which pooled in through the long windows.

Mime sighed, and placed a hand upon the sword. "This day you became a protector of our kingdom, sworn to defend all those in need, with _this _sword." He nodded to himself, composing his own thoughts. "However, this is no ordinary sword. It is not like the sword which we bequeathed to the other young man knighted on this day."

Siegfried's thought flashed back to Lohengrin by the pond.

"Your mother and I now feel that it is time to tell you of the true nature of the duties that you have been given," Mime added heavily. He exchanged glances with Sieglinde who, with a hesitant nod, encouraged him to continue. He looked to his son once more. "This sword is a heart-shatterer. It is the only one of its kind." [12]

Silence hung heavy about them for a moment. Siegfried did not know what the words meant, but a shiver went up his spine at the mention of them. He wondered if, perhaps, everyone would have known what a heart-shatterer was… back before the day of his birth.

"It is, as I said at the ceremony, of old magic." Mime's eyes traveled back to the sword which had, until that morning, been his. So many wars fought with this sword. And yet, strangely, he could hardly remember any of them, as though all that he had felt in those turbulent times had flown from him.

Perhaps he was the better for it.

"It is a relic of a bygone era," he finally added. "And it is a power that is granted only to our bloodline through this, our ancient sword." [13]

Siegfried sat before his parents, stunned. He looked upon the beautiful sword again, now with new eyes. A power granted only to him? Such a thing seemed beyond imagining. That morning he had known that he was being granted the responsibility of the protection of his realm. However, this was something else entirely.

"It is a _forbidden_ power – the breaking of hearts." [14]

His father's voice halted all thought that had been racing through his mind. Once more he looked up into his father's face. Mime nodded. "Our own ancestors forbad the use of it. It was too great a power, at too mighty a cost."

There was a long moment of silence between the three that sat at that table.

"However," Mime continued, even as Sieglinde looked away, "it is a power that you must be taught."

Siegfried flinched. "Why?" he whispered. Why would his father want him to learn such a power that sounded so terrible, even in the utterance?

"Because, Siegfried," the king answered, "this too is one of the burdens of our rule. Though the breaking of hearts is a terrible power, it is one which our line must always be aware of. We, who are its only keepers, and its only guards… My son," Mime now reached out his old, wrinkled hand to grasp that of his much younger son. "It can be a power of terrible evil. But it is also a power of terrible sacrifice." He swallowed, willing himself to continue. These were memories he had not thought on in a long, long time. They were difficult to conjure. He had grown unaccustomed to pain. "To shatter another's heart is an act of unspeakable cruelty, and one from which you must always guard this sword. You must protect it from ever being turned to such a purpose. However," he gathered his thoughts. "However, with this sword one can also shatter one's own heart. And the shattering of one's own heart… It can subdue the greatest darkness. The legends say that, by the magnitude of such an act, one of our bloodline may invoke the greatest of powers. Any evil that opposes him is brought to heel, imprisoned by the shimmering feathers of the purest, great swan – the god who first granted our family this sword." [15]

Siegfried's grip tightened on his father's hand. He stared at the hilt of the sword which, mere hours before, he had seen for the first time. After a moment he looked above his parents' fireplace. Here too hung the emblem of their house. Their family crest. The white swan atop a crown. A feeling of resolve took hold the Prince. "Very well father, mother. I will do as you ask. I will learn this power, and shoulder the responsibility of our house, as a Prince should."

His father nodded at him, forcing a smile. His mother simply stared. Siegfried gave his father's hand a last squeeze. Then he stood and, with a final bow, took up his sword again, and left his parents' chambers.

"You know this may well be the means by which the prophesy comes to fruition," Sieglinde said after the door had closed behind her son. Her eyes stayed fixed upon it.

"That will never be," Mime said resolutely, getting up to pour himself a glass of wine. "Darkness has been banished from this kingdom. We live in peace. There will never be so great and terrible a threat in our son's life that he should have to give so great a sacrifice."

In once swig, he swallowed the bitter taste.

…

Some months passed.

Siegfried met with his father, unbeknownst to any save his mother, and learned from him the art of shattering a heart. On this day, more so than on any previously, he was preoccupied. Today, at long last, his father had taught him the words by which to invoke the sword's power.

"_Speak the words after me," Mime said to his son. Again they sat at the little card table which had, mere months before, seemed such a harmless place of frivolity to Siegfried. As before, between them lay the sword. Neither touched it._ _"Into this sword…"_

"_Into this sword…"_

"_Which broke apart a prince's heart…"_

_Siegfried swallowed, and his eyes again chanced down at the sword. He took a deep breath, and met his father's steady gaze. "Which broke apart a prince's heart…"_

"…_and destroyed the wicked…"_

"…_and destroyed the wicked…"_

"_Bestow power once again."_

"_Bestow power once again."_

_His father had nodded solemnly. "Commit those words to memory, my son. And, upon the completion of the verses, grip the sword over a lake, or some such body of still water, so that the sword will cut your hand, and the blood will mingle with the water. The water will blacken. Then allow the bloody tip to sink into the mixture. The mixture will take hold, and climb upon the blade all the way to the hilt. It will become a sheath in and of itself. Draw the sword from the water with purpose. By this act, the black sheen upon the blade will shatter, and the sword's true power will be awoken." Mime stared at his old weapon and, after a long moment, whispered, "May that never be…" _[16]

In was in such an unsettled mood, dwelling on this latest lesson and sitting on his own throne to the left of his father the King in the Great Hall, that he and his parents heard from a messenger that the Lady of the Owl Clan had arrived at the castle, and wished for a royal audience.

Sieglinde made something of a derisive sound. Mime gave her a look. This was all lost on their son, however. Indeed, until the trumpets within the very Hall sounded to announce the Lady's arrival, he was entirely lost to musings. With the trumpets, however, he jolted to attention.

The oaken doors on the other end of the Hall opened wide and in swept a tall, imposing woman, with hair that fell down well past her waist. She was beautiful. Siegfried could see that much, even from here. A curving body and a striking face, she swayed her hips as she made her slow, easy walk across the entire length of the Great Hall. Her hair was pigmented to have a sheen of green. On her right shoulder sat a small, brown and black owl and, as she walked, she raised a porcelain hand with long red nails to scratch it under its chin. The woman was adorned in deep brown fir. At least… a little of it. Her clothing left little to the imagination. [17]

Following her was an entourage of four men and one lady in waiting. Each one of them wore the same fur, though in more ample quantities. Siegfried had heard of the Owl Clan. They were a powerful family. However, they were not well loved at court. Siegfried felt that he could understand why. In their presence he felt an emotion that he was unaccustomed to. Uneasiness. Some said that, before the purge, they had practiced dark witchcraft. Upon reaching the few steps that led up to the thrones, she and her party made the appropriate bows and curtsies.

_Still,_ he thought, _I am sure that the Lady is a noble leader of her tribe._He gave her a warm smile.

"Lady Eule, to what do we owe the pleasure?" the queen said with a smile. If Siegfried had not noticed before his mother's displeasure at the arrival of these guests, he noticed it now. [18]

"Your Majesties, Prince Siegfried," the woman flashed him a disarming smile. She seemed lovely. "I hope that you are all in good health, and good temperament."

"We have all been extremely well. What is your pleasure?" the queen responded coolly.

One of the men in the Lady's entourage made a deep bow and spoke. "The Lady Eule comes before your graces now with a proposition."

"…We are listening," King Mime answered.

What a strange emotion, this disquiet. Siegfried was wholly unaccustomed to it. He looked about him. Was he the only one so affected?

Lady Eule smirked at the king. "A union," she stated, "between the houses Swan and Owl." Again, her eyes fixed upon Siegfried. "The Prince became a protector of the realm months ago. He is of marrying age. He now possesses Nothung. And _I…_ Well, I am still a woman of great beauty." She looked back to the king and queen. From what Siegfried could tell she was thoroughly reveling in the look on his mother's face. "I do not think that an offer from the head of the Owl Clan is anything short of a match well struck."

The king opened his mouth to answer.

"_No."_

Son and father looked to Sieglinde. She sat erect in her throne, yet poised. Though she was so much older than many of the mothers at the court, Siegfried was suddenly struck with how beautiful she was, with her silver hair and arresting blue eyes. And she was now surveying the Lady Eule with all of the disdain of a protector in her own right, not of a kingdom, but of a single human life.

Lady Eule's smirk wavered. She again turned to look at the king, her mouth open with more words.

"I believe you heard me quite clearly," the queen interrupted her before she could even fully draw breath. "Lady Eule, were I not certain beyond all doubt that all darkness had been banished from this land, I should say that you keep the company of ravens, not of owls."

In the silence that followed the small owl on the Lady's shoulder let out a piercing squawk, and flapped its wings, before settling once more. The Lady, after a moment, cocked her head to one side, and looked from the king back into the eyes of the queen.

There was no smile there now.

"You distrust me, do you?" she finally said, her hand now poised on her hip. "Well then, I suppose that certainly makes you different from your pretty, pretty son." Siegfried became perfectly still as the Lady's eyes rested upon him. She truly was an owl. And he was a mouse. "A heart that loves everything. A heart that forgives all. This is the heart we have been searching for," she sized him up. The ominous statement hung in the air. "After all, what woman would not want such a husband?" she finally added on, almost as an afterthought. [19]

"You have your answer, Lady Eule," King Mime answered, his fingers gripping into the arms of his throne. He too seemed to have had enough.

After a moment longer the Lady made her bow to king, queen, and prince. Her entourage did the same. As she straightened up, she surveyed them all one last time. The owl screeched. She and Siegfried locked eyes. He held her gaze. She smirked, "Well, won't you be just the little _heartbreaker."_

Without another word, Lady Eule and her train swept from the room.

…

**Footnotes:**

[1] State of the kingdom is drawn from _This Pendent Heart,_ Epilogue. p.167

[2] Crest is featured in the stain glass window of the dance studio in _Princess Tutu (anime),_ Ep.1

[3] An illustration within _The Prince and the Raven_ depicts a young Prince Siegfried with blond hair, drawn from _Princess Tutu (anime),_ Ep.3. Image on my Profile Page as _P&Rno1._

[4] "Parsifal" is the father's name in Richard Wagner's 1850 opera, _Lohengrin._

[5] The castle in _This Pendent Heart_ is referred to as the New Swan Stone Castle. _The Prince and the Raven_ takes place in the old one, before the war. Ch2. P17

[6] As in_This Pendent Heart,_the castle in the story is modeled after Neuschwanstein Castle, the real New Swan Stone in Germany. Footnote from Ch2. p.17

[7] The Prince's sword is here described as it appears in _Princess Tutu (anime),_ Ep.8

[8] "Nothung" is the name of Siegfried's sword in Richard Wagner's 1876 opera, _Siegfried._

[9] The description of Lohengrin's sword is from _Princess Tutu (anime),_ Ep.10

[10] Lohengrin's brother is drawn from the tale, _Knight of the Swan_.

[11] Fakir wraps a sword for transport in such a manner in _Princess Tutu (manga),_ Vol.2. Ch9. p.2

[12] That the Prince's sword is the only one that can shatter hearts is drawn from _Princess Tutu (anime),_ Ep.13

[13] That the Prince is the only one who can shatter hearts, with the use of this sword, is drawn from _Princess Tutu (anime),_ Ep.2

[14] That the breaking of hearts is a forbidden power is drawn from _Princess Tutu (anime),_ Ep.1

[15] The Monster Raven is seen so pinned down in _Princess Tutu (anime),_ Ep.14

[16] The ritual is drawn from that which Fakir performs in _Princess Tutu (anime),_ Ep.8

[17] The Lady of the Owl Clan is based on the character of Edel from the _Princess Tutu (manga)._ She is not to be confused with the character of the same name from the _anime._ In the manga this character is shown in association with owls, and is an underling of the Raven, who never makes an appearance. She is the foremost villain of the story, and is here represented as a minor character.

[18] Just as in Krähe (or Kraehe), is the German word for Crow, and is the name given to the "Raven's Daughter" in _Princess Tutu (anime),_ and just as the duck who became a girl is named Duck (or Ente, in her native German), so I thought it appropriate to name Edel's character, the Head of the Crow Clan, Lady Eule – Eule being German for Owl. It also has some echoes of Edel's name.

[19] This is a notion conveyed by Edel in the _Princess Tutu (manga),_ Vol.2. Ch7. p.2


	3. Of Loyalty and Love

**Chapter Three**

**Of Loyalty and Love**

Lohengrin rode into the stable with a clatter of sounds and brought his horse to a staggering halt. _"Whoa_ there, Lamiere. Steady._ Steady." _[1]

She was a beautiful brown mare, and a little tempestuous. The horse knocked her hoof against the cobblestone a few times to express her displeasure at being halted. Lohengrin smirked. "I know, I know. I don't like being cooped up here all day with nothing to do either." [2]

As he slid off his saddle a stable boy came running up to him. He looked as though he'd been sleeping. The sound of Lohengrin's arrival must have been what woke him. The knight handed off the reigns. "Walk her around the courtyard a few more times before you settle her in for the night." He patted the mare on her flank, and smiled up at her.

The stable boy nodded at him groggily before taking the horse by the bridle and leading her away.

Lohengrin surveyed the inner court as he peeled off his gloves. Over in the shade, underneath some trees, sat a few ladies, laughing delicately. There, on a level patch of grass, were two noble boys sparring with sticks. They couldn't be more than five or six. In a year they would be handed over to instructors and be taught how to fight with practice swords, just as he had been.

Instinctively his hand came to rest on the hilt of his own sword. Though it had been more than four months since he had been knighted, the novelty of having the weapon at his side had not yet worn off.

A few gasps and some giggles pulled him from his thoughts. The ladies under the tree had fixed their attention on a new arrival. Lohengrin trailed his eyes across the court to see that Prince Siegfried had stepped out of the castle. He was waving politely in acknowledgment to the ladies.

"Tish," Lohengrin looked away. The Prince _irritated_ him more than he could say. Those well practiced manners. That fawning attitude. He was less royal than servile. And the way that everyone was simply _taken in _by it. No one was that pure. No one was that good.

A commotion erupted behind him. Lohengrin turned with mild interest to see his mare galloping toward him from the stables. Lohengrin stumbled back, and tripped onto his back. He didn't have time to move. He did not know what was wrong with him. He was paralyzed in fear, unable to act. In the next instant the dark shadow of his horse was looming over him, her hoofs poised.

Throwing up an arm, and closing his eyes, Lohengrin's lasts thoughts were, _Stupid stable boy. He didn't walk her around. Just packed her up and went right back to sleep._

Weight crashed down upon him.

However, it was not the weight of crushing hooves, but that of a soft body. Lohengrin looked up to find himself looking into pair of honey colored eyes. In the next moment, however, he wasn't looking at much of anything. Someone had thrown himself upon Lohengrin and gripped into his arms. By the force of the leap he had had pulled Lohengrin into a tumble, and rolled the two of them out from under Lamiere just as her hooves came crashing down upon where their heads had been moments before.

Dust rose in two great clouds. Lohengrin's vision was obscured. There was shouting. Guards had been called. Finally, when the dust had cleared he found that he was lying on the ground, with Prince Siegfried lying beside him, still gripping onto him with all his strength.

Siegfried pulled away. His flax blond hair was soiled. His face was smeared. His suit was dirtied. And he gripped into Lohengrin's upper arms, shaking him. "Are you alright?!"

Lohengrin's mouth hung agape. He coughed. Dirt had gotten into it.

The alarm in the Prince's eyes did not abate until Lohengrin was finally able to crock out a, _"Fine._ I'm _fine."_

Relief of the sort Lohengrin had never seen pooled across the Prince's face. "Thank goodness."

He let go of Lohengrin's arms and slowly, painfully, propped himself up on his elbows to survey the court. Lohengrin followed suit.

Some of the castle guards managed to catch Lamiere. The captain of the guards was in the middle of yelling at the stable boy, and the ladies' fans were moving at the same speed as Lohengrin's heart.

"Wh…Why did you just risk your life for me?" he said, after he had managed to swallow down most of the dust he had inhaled.

The Prince slowly turned to look at him with, Lohengrin had an uncomfortable feeling, the same expression he had given the prince just a few months ago at the pond in the courtyard.

"Because you were in danger," he said, explaining it to Lohengrin as though the latter were stupid. "Because you're my knight." With that, the Prince began to clamber to his feet. Lohengrin just stared at him, transfixed. The Prince brushed himself down as best he could, and then turned to offer the knight a hand. It was then that Lohengrin realized that, through the entire experience, he had been clutching onto his gloves.

Out of sheer shock and bewilderment Lohengrin took the hand extended. The Prince helped Lohengrin to his feet. After a few moments of gaping like a fish the knight finally found some semblance of speech within him. "I believe that I was inexcusably rude to you upon our last encounter. Allow me to make a full apology, my Prince." He made to take a bow, but was arrested by a hand on his shoulder.

He looked into the Prince's eyes.

"_Siegfried,"_ he said with a small smile. "My name is _Siegfried."_

**…**

Over the next weeks Lohengrin found himself approaching the Prince when the latter made appearances in the outer court. The Prince seemed glad of his company, as he was glad of the company of any of his people. As he observed, Lohengrin saw that, no matter how trifling the request, no matter how inane, the Prince aimed to help any of his citizens in need as though they were each his personal friend. Lohengrin found himself lingering in the halls through which the prince walked. It was almost comical. Before he had always vacated any place at the first glimpses of that blond hair. As the days rolled on Lohengrin found that, despite himself, he rather liked the Prince's company and, to his great surprise, the Prince seemed to like his.

Soon the knight found that the Prince would approach him almost as often as he the Prince. There was something easy in the conversations between them. It was easy perhaps because Lohengrin did not look to the Prince for the affection which he could not help but lavish on all his citizens. The knight sought him out rather because he wanted to _understand._ He wanted to understand this strange and kind youth into whose court he had been thrown. Lohengrin felt that he owed at least so much to the man who had saved his life. The affection which he began to feel for his companion was entirely subsequent.

And Siegfried... well, he in turn seemed to sense the nature of Lohengrin's initial disinterested interest in him, and loved him all the better for it.

Ere the month was even near completion Lohengrin pledged his life to Prince Siegfried. Not merely a life of service. That he had already sworn. No, he pledged a life of love, and devotion. He had been a young man without a cause to fight for or a belief to cherish for his entire life. He still did not believe in false courtesy, flattery, or deceptive civility.

But he did believe in Siegfried.

Not long after entering into his personal service Lohengrin learned that if it was to protect the people, the Prince never feared being injured in the line of duty. He was fearless, and loyal, and compassionate. He was, in fact, everything that he had appeared to be upon their first encounter, and everything that had alarmed Lohengrin so much. He was the kindest and most honorable man Lohengrin had ever met. [3]

Of course, Lohengrin soon also learned that being assigned to the Prince's personal guard did not mean protecting the Prince from any of his people. They all worshiped him with an almost alarming reverence. No. Protecting the Prince meant protecting him from himself.

It meant running after him when he took off after a small dog being washed away by the river. It meant yelling, cursing and pleading with him to come down from the high wall onto which he had somehow climbed to save a cat which was too frightened to make the climb down herself. It meant tearing into the courtyard pond after him, scattering a flock of indigent swans, when the Prince tried to save a waterfowl from _drowning,_ nearly downing himself. It meant keeping one eye upon him at all times because, unlike any assassin or assailant, who would have to take a rest at some time or other, the Prince's nature was always a part of him.

It had been two months since he had entered the Prince's service, and half a year since the two of them had been granted their swords. And if Lohengrin had been displeased with being cooped up within the castle with nothing to do, he was now eating his words.

It was after one such exhausting day that Lohengrin came to be stretched out in the window seat of the Prince's private chambers. Siegfried was sitting behind his desk, filling out paperwork. Beside him, on the table, stood a candle with the hours marked upon it, slowly burning to indicate the passage of time. In the calm of the afternoon, Lohengrin allowed his eyes to slide close and to relax further into the window seat.

"So," Siegfried's voice brought him back to the here and now with a jolt. The Prince did not look up from the document he was poring over. "You've never actually told me…" he put his name to a piece of paper, took a blotter, and mopped up the excess ink, "…why everyone tells you that you're just an 'unpleasant fellow.'" He put the document aside, and moved on to the next.

Lohengrin blearily blinked at him for a moment. "Oh." He shifted his position a little. "Well, if it makes a difference, I'm not called that anymore," he answered evasively. Now people called him the brave knight who guarded the prince. It was a change. [4]

Siegfried, however, was not deterred. He paused in his writing, his feather quill hovering dangerously over the paper. He fixed his eyes on the young man who had become his closest knight.

Lohengrin knew that look. It was that earnest, irritating look which would not be denied. For someone who was so good and pure of heart, Siegfried certainly had a way of getting people to do as he liked. Lohengrin sighed. "I_ did_ mention that I have an older brother, yes?"

"Yes." Carefully, Siegfried placed the quill back into its inkwell. He leaned back in his leather and wooden chair, and gave Lohengrin his full attention. Lohengrin did not know if he would ever get used to being listened to so carefully.

"Well, it was only a half truth, actually," he said. "I_ do_ have an older brother… an older _twin _brother." He smirked bitterly just at the thought. "A few minutes, that's all. A few minutes that separate me from my entire birthright. Second sons are expendable, after all."

"What is he like?" Siegfried asked quietly.

Lohengrin raised an eyebrow. "Like? Kardeiz? Hah. Though we're twins we could not have been born less similar… though that might well have been due to the difference of our upbringing. He was bred from birth to take over my father's estate. He's… more groomed than I am." There was a moment of silence. "You might have liked him better than me, actually." Lohengrin looked again at Siegfried. "But then, you like everybody." [5]

The Prince shrugged sheepishly. "I try to see the good in everybody."

"No, it's more than that," Lohengrin shifted in his seat, trying to get comfortable once more. "You make everyone feel loved. I've seen it. Whomever you speak to, you make them feel like the most important person in the kingdom for the duration of time that you're in their presence. It is a gift."

"Well," Siegfried said quietly into the silence that followed. "I certainly wouldn't have liked him _better _than you."

"Tish." The knight smiled wryly at the prince.

Siegfried looked down upon his unfinished documents and sighed heavily. There was still so much to be done. He then chanced a glance to the candle. The wax had burned down to the Roman numeral VI. His father would be waiting for him for their daily lessons.

"I should go," he said. The chair scrapped loudly as he got up from behind the desk.

As always a look of curiosity flittered across Lohengrin's face. As always he suppressed it with his usual stoic nature. "Do you want me to come with you or…?"

"No," Siegfried smiled reassuringly. It was odd. He'd never had a close friend before. So, he had never had to hide his activities. He knew that he was not lying to Lohengrin about why it was he vanished every day for an hour or so. He was not lying because Lohengrin was too good a friend to ask. Still, somehow… it felt dishonest. "I'll be back in an hour or so," he heard himself saying.

Lohengrin stretched. "Alright then. How do you feel about going out to a tavern when you get back?"

"Oh, no. I couldn't. I still have all this paperwork to–"

"_Good._ I'm glad you see it my way," Lohengrin let out a yawn. He had just found the perfect position. Without the Prince there for an hour he might actually get some real sleep. "Let's go to the _Swaying Swan_. They always have good ale there."

…

Dusk had fallen. Siegfried and Lohengrin strode through the cobbled streets, garbed in dark cloaks to hide their fine clothes. Again, this was not because of any thieves or robbers. This was because Lohengrin refused to spend the night batting off adoring citizens from their beloved prince.

"We could have taken the–"

"No."

"But it would have been much faster than–"

"_No."_ There was no way, in this world or the next, that Lohengrin would ever be caught in the prince's carriage. Made from mother of pearl, and flown by two _majestic _white swans, the very sight of the thing made his eyes hurt. And there was certainly no way that he would have ridden to a tavern in it. [6]

Within ten minutes, as dusk was turning into night, Siegfried and Lohengrin came into the light pooling out of the loud but small tavern house before them. Over the door was tacked on a wood carving of a swan teetering drunkenly on one of its webbed feet.

Lohengrin adjusted his hood, and walked in. After all, everyone knew that he was the Prince's right-hand man. If they recognized him they would recognize the Prince.

The warm light of too many candles on too many surfaces engulfed them. Men were sitting at tables and on the floor, laughing, exchanging gossip, or playing cards. The bartender was deep in conversation with two of the tavern wenches, who were clearly having a playful laugh at the old man's expense. The bar, meanwhile, remained completely unattended. And why not? There had not been a theft or a bar fight in many, many years.

Once Lohengrin had his mug in his hand he was the most content man in the kingdom. He was well rested, he had his ale, and he was sharing company with the man who had become his closest companion. He and Siegfried toasted glasses, and began to drink. He closed his eyes as the cool ale went down his throat.

Life could not be better than this.

The night went on in much the same fashion. They drank, talked, and relished in each other's company that which had been denied them all their lives. It was impossible to say exactly_ why_ the two got on as well as they did. Perhaps it was because, unlike every other person in the kingdom, Lohengrin did not take Siegfried's every word with unadulterated reverence. Or, perhaps, it was because Siegfried, by the very nature of his character, was the only young man alive who could stomach Lohengrin's tempers.

Perhaps it was a little of both.

"Yes, I dare say," a voice rose above the hum of conversation, "of all the tales that I know, there is none that touches my heart more so than that of Princess Tutu." It was almost morning now. The tavern had quieted down. Most of the merry makers had gone home. It was because of this that the exchange that the man was having with the bartender wafted all the way to the other end of the bar where the prince and the knight sat.

Lohengrin groaned. He was inebriated now and he pinched the bridge of his nose. "Oh please, let us _not _hear this one again."

"If you know this story, sir, and it does not move you, have no sense of compassion," rebuked the man whose conversation had been interrupted.

"I cannot remember if I know it, or do not know it. All I know is that all such stories begin and end the same." Lohengrin waved his hand about. "There was a _princess._ She was _beautiful."_ With every sentence he flopped his hand a different direction_._ "She loved a _Prince._ They tried to be _together._ There was an evil _warlock._ Etcetera, etcetera. Eventually the Princess finds a way to be with her Prince. The _end."_ His hand dropped to the counter with a 'thump.' "It's an old tale."

"Ah, but that is where you are wrong, my sour sir. For Princess Tutu, though blessed with beauty, cleverness and strength, is a princess fated_ never_ to be with her prince." The man took a deep swig of his ale, and rasped out, "For when she confesses her love she turns into a speck of light and _vanishes._ Such was the curse laid upon her at her birth." [7]

There was silence in the tavern. Even in a world of crime and violence such a fate would have seemed unendurable. But in the quiet of their orderly world… it seemed _unimaginable._

After a moment Siegfried swallowed, thinking hard. "Wait… I do remember… I am sure that I once_ did _hear a story of her."

Lohengrin groaned quietly. There would be no stopping this now.

"Yes. It was my father's old Mage who told it to me, sometime before he passed." Even as he spoke, trying to think through the ale that he had had, Siegfried remembered the occasion. He had been no more than a boy of five at the time, he was sure of it. The old Mage had told him many stories, some of times gone by, some of immortal magic, and some of events yet to come. One such story had been that of Princess Tutu, who danced to free men's souls of their despair.

He remembered lying on the ground in front of the Mage's chair, propped up on his elbows and listening eagerly, even as the old man's words seemed to conjure the princess in the very air.

"_Where is she?"_

_The Prince asked this of the old man. The Mage, in turn, raised a great white eyebrow at the little boy, and stroked his beard thoughtfully._

"_Nobody knows that."_

"_But she appears to people and, dances with them, and rescues them, through their hearts, of the great darkness that might otherwise seize upon them?" The mages nodded solemnly._

"_I wish she would become my princess," the prince said wistfully. "Side by side we could do so much good, and rescue the people of their sadness together, so that none need ever suffer." _

_The Prince said this and thought on her depiction again. Truly, he had never seen anyone suffer. Princess Tutu had, however. And she __**saved **__them from it. _

"_Dear Prince, your wish voices nothing."_

_The old man simply smiled as he spoke. _[8]

**…**

**Waifine's Note: **After this chapter, and before the next, there is placed in _The Prince and the Raven_ an illustration of the Mage telling a young Prince Siegfried the legend of Princess Tutu. This image can be found on my Profile Page as _P&Rno1. _It is from_ Princess Tutu (anime), _Ep.3

**Footnotes: **

[1] Lohengrin's mare is named after Lamiere, Pasifal's aunt, and thus Lohengrin's great aunt. This is drawn from the book _Arthurian Name Dictionary_ by Christopher W. Bruce.

[2] The coloring of the horse is based on an illustration from _The Prince and the Raven_ in _Princess Tutu (anime),_ Ep.9. Image on my Profile Page as _P&Rno2._

[3] "If it was to protect the people, the Prince never feared being injured in the line of duty," is a direct quote from _The Prince and the Raven_ in _Princess Tutu (anime),_ Ep.10

[4] That Lohengrin was a brave knight who guarded the prince is drawn from _Princess Tutu (anime),_ Ep.10

[5] Lohengrin's twin brother, Kardeiz, is drawn from the tale, _Knight of the Swan_.

[6] The carriage referred to is from _Princess Tutu (anime)_ Ep.26. That it is made from mother of pearl is from _This Pendent Heart,_ Ch9. p.70

[7] This phrase is similar to one uttered in _Princess Tutu (anime),_ Ep.3

[8] Fragments of the exchange between the young Prince and the Mage are shown, in the original German, within the pages of _The Prince and the Raven,_ in _Princess Tutu (anime),_ Ep.3. The translation into English is by Aorphiusrex, from the _Princess Tutu Community_ on _LiveJournal._


End file.
